Giving rise to a plethora of services that have significantly changed the way we live, work and shop, the internet has also provided us with great benefits like multiple canvassing and buying products without having to leave home. Even medicines may now be conveniently bought online. However, unlike many products we purchase, online medicines are not something that can be taken lightly since there are some web sites that sell medicine that is unsafe and could put your life in danger. There are many reasons why buying prescription drugs online can carry dangers. Here are some of them: • Many of these sites are not liscensed pharmacies. • Online sites often give incorrect diagnoses, causing your true condition to go untreated and possibly worsen. • An unlicensed pharmacy may not consider protecting your personal information to be a top priority. • There are fake medicines that are spread and sold throughout the internet. Likewise, medicines that contains ingredients that either too strong or too weak. And worst there may be dangerous ingredients added or the medicines are already expired. Medicines such as those mentioned are of course not FDA–approved which means that they have not passed safety standards for use set by the FDA. It’s also best not to obtain prescriptions online. The best option is to visit a doctor personally so you can undergo the necessary physical check up. Getting prescription online is not a wise choice since you bypass the option of a complete physical check-up, a prerequisite in determining a diagnosis of any health condition. After your doctor has given you a prescription, then that is the only time that you can start purchasing your medicine online. Here are some important tips to utilize when buying online medications: Make sure that your chosen web site is a US state-licensed pharmacy. Legitimate pharmacies and pharmacists in the United States are licensed by the state’s board of pharmacy. The state board of pharmacy has the say on which web sites are licensed and are in good standing. If you want to see whether your chosen online pharmacy is on the list of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) you may simply visit the website of NABP and look for the name of your chosen online pharmacy. The NABP is a professional association of the state boards of pharmacy and it has a program that can help you search for some of their licensed pharmacies online. Qualities of web sites to choose: • Should be licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the web site is operating. • Always demand for a licensed pharmacist to answer your questions. • A safe website should require a prescription from your doctor or other health care professionals who are licensed in the United States to write prescriptions for medications. Likewise, make sure that your privacy is protected. Try to search privacy and security policies that are easy to find and easy to understand. Avoid divulging important personal information such as your social security number, credit card, medical or health history unless you are sure that the web site is safe and private. Also, if ever you find a web site that you feel is illegal, feel free to report the site to the NABP.